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SWEP Greater Philadelphia will be holding its annual Green Smarts Party on April 25, 2013. Help us congratulate SWEP’s 2013 Scholarship and Grant recipients while meeting the area's science and research leaders. Learn about impressive students and environmental programs while you network and mingle with other environmental professionals. Wine, sandwiches, and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Questions? Contact Christina Arlt at swep.scholar.phila@gmail.com

The Society of Women Environmental Professionals of Greater Philadelphia (SWEP) is a national non-profit professional association of women involved in environmental law, science, business, and policy. The Philadelphia Chapter is a resource for members providing opportunities for professional development through educational programming, social events, mentoring, and public service to promote the professional development and achievement of women in the environmental field.

Call in sick! Take a vacation day! Do what you can, but come out and show your support for Think Outside The Bottle, the campaign aimed at eliminating bottled water from our National Parks.

This Wednesday, March 27 at 9:30 AM, meet us at the corner of 6th and Market Streets. This fun event, complete with tri-corner hats, banners and a giant postcard given to the National Parks Superintendent, is a great chance to showcase the public support that the campaign has gained for this initiative. Bring your friends and family; spread the word to your coworkers and neighbors; like us on Facebook, and help make Philadelphia the focal point for making our National Parks bottled water free. If you remember, a little show of support worked out pretty well for Philadelphia and the rest of the nation back in 1776!

Any questions, contact Caroline Wooten, Field Organizer for the Think Outside the Bottle Campaign by phone at 781 835 8185 or via email at caroline@greencorps.org

Jacques Sapriel of PhillyEcoCity.com will be visiting the South Philly Green Drinks to solicit your ideas about making Philadelphia a zero-waste city, and he needs YOUR help!

Jacques will attend Bridget Foy's on April 3rd and will be joined by Maurice Sampson, former Director of Solid Waste Recycling for Philadelphia and now consulting at Niche Recycling. They want to identify subjects for a facilitated forum they are organizing around Earth Day at McGillins' Ale House. Topics they are soliciting input on include the following:

Come out and bring your best resources and ideas on how we can jumpstart both the forum and the move towards a waste-free city. Bring a friend to Bridget Foy's and be prepared to share; better yet, if you have information you'd like to present at the forum, contact Jacques at jsapriel@gmail.com or at info@phillyecocity.com

Over the past 32 years, the 5K Run for Clean Air has grown into Philadelphia’s largest Earth Day Celebration. Sponsored by the Clean Air Council, the Run has become a certified green event, added a 3K walk, a kids' fun run, and more. Located on the beautiful banks of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, the Run is a celebration of sustainability, clean air, and improvements in the region’s environmental health.

All proceeds from the 5K Run for Clean Air go back to supporting the Council’s programs. We would love to have you involved in the 2013 5K Run for Clean Air and join Clean Air Council in making it the largest and most exciting Run yet.

Have you ever considered how can we use ecological design to create more resilient communities and regenerative landscapes? Luckily for you, The Philadelphia Orchard Projects is offering an Intro to Permaculture Workshop. Led by POP Director Phil Forsyth, this introductory class will cover the ethics and principles of permaculture design and examine their applications for home, yard, and city.

Plastic water bottles; they're sold everywhere you go in Philly, and they're marketed as an essential element of a healthy lifestyle. But think again. A 1-liter bottle uses over 6.74 gallons of water in its production / transportation (and that's just shipping it to the U.S.!), consumes 1 liter of fossil fuel and emits 1.2 lb. of greenhouse gases. Plus, they're a recycling nightmare; only about 13% of the 29 BILLION bottles we consume are recycled. Approximately 2 million tons of water bottles a year end up in U.S. landfills. They take centuries to biodegrade, and if they are incinerated, toxic byproducts, such as chlorine gas and ash containing heavy metals, are released into the atmosphere.

Enter Think Outside The Bottle. Their campaign to get Independence National Historical Park to go bottled water free has really taken off and is growing every day. In the past 2 months, they've signed on almost 1000 people in support of the campaign, received the endorsement of more than 20 business, civic, and academic leaders, and met with staff at the Philadelphia Inquirer to discuss this growing movement.

Reach Your Green Audience!

Green Drinks members can now take advantage of special reduced rates for advertising on PhillyEcoCity.com . You'll receive 30% off their published ad rates and directly reach sustainable consumers. To qualify, you or your business must be on the Green Drinks Delaware Valley mailing list. For more info, contact Jacques Sapriel at info@phillyecocity.com